Kissin' Cousins
by SpyGirl1969
Summary: Lee and Amanda go undercover as first cousins at a D.C. rally of the “Kissin’ Cousins.”


Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Never have. Never will. 'Scarecrow and Mrs. King' belongs to Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Brothers.

Timeline: Late season one

Rating: PG

Summary: Lee and Amanda go undercover as first cousins at a D.C. rally of the "Kissin' Cousins."

Author's Note: This story is the result of a challenge from Vikki, our list mom. Here is her challenge, as given to me:

Season one. Lee and Amanda go undercover as first cousins at a D.C. rally of the "Kissin' Cousins" -- a (fictional, as far as I know) national organization fighting for the right of first cousins in all 50 states to marry -- because the Agency has reason to believe that the leader of the organization is using it as a cover for a more sinister agenda . . . You must include all of the following:

(1) At least one snarky remark by Francine

(2) Lee having to carry Amanda

(3) Lee getting really flustered (your choice as to whether this is related to #2)

(4) Amanda saying, "Live and learn, Scarecrow"

(5) A bag of marbles

Thank you, Vikki, for a challenge which did indeed challenge me in several ways – it's season one, it has a plot, making Lee flustered in season one, and oh, that darn bag of marbles!

And thank you to my wonderful beta and friend (whose wish it is to remain anonymous), without whom this story would contain inconsistencies and quite a few grammatical faux pas.

**Kissin' Cousins**

Lee Stetson strode through the bullpen, casually trying to remain oblivious to the open stares of nearly every female in the room. He was accustomed to it; after all, he couldn't help it if women found him irresistible.

All, that was, except one woman: Amanda King. When he'd entered the room, his eyes had landed on her. She'd looked up somewhat distractedly, given him a friendly smile and wave, and promptly gone back to her work.

On the one hand, it was a relief to Lee that Amanda _didn't _watch him with moony eyes. On the other hand, it irked him. Didn't she find him attractive? Why should _she_ be immune to whatever it was that drew nearly every other woman to him?

Laughing inwardly, he half-heartedly chided himself for being so egocentric. It was a _good_ thing that Amanda King wasn't attracted to him, because he _certainly_ wasn't attracted to her. Not that she wasn't attractive, in her own rather ordinary way; she simply wasn't his type. Apparently, he wasn't hers either. It was better for their working relationship – such as it was.

Lee knocked briskly on his section chief's door and waited for the inevitable "Come!"

"Good morning, Billy," he said cheerfully, entering the office and sitting down across from his boss and friend.

"Hello, Lee," Billy replied automatically, his eyes focused on the thick manila file folder in front of him. "I'm glad _you're_ in a good mood," he added huffily, glancing up briefly.

Lee raised his eyebrows. "Bad day already, Billy? What's wrong? Francine in a snit?" he jested.

"Noo," Billy said, drawing the single word out with pseudo-patience. "Francine's not even in yet, that I know of. It's me who's in a snit. This case is ridiculous. I don't see whatever it is the higher-ups think they see, and given a choice I'd send Fielding on this one. But the top dogs want you on it." 

Intrigued and slightly alarmed, Lee leaned forward. "What is it?"

Billy smirked and rolled his eyes. With a pseudo country twang in his voice, he answered, "It's the Fourth Annual 'Kissin' Cousins' Convention, presented by Jack Whitfield and his cousin and girlfriend, Maggie Straight. They're fighting for the right of first cousins in all fifty states to marry."

Lee stared at his boss, incredulous. It had been a while since he'd been handed such an inane assignment. Finally, he asked, "And the Agency wants to get involved in this . . . _why_, exactly?"

"Because," Billy said, all seriousness once again, "They believe that there may be a domestic terrorist cell within 'Kissin' Cousins'." He opened to the front page of the file and perused it. "Of course, they have no actual proof."

"If they have no proof, what makes them think there's anything strange going on?" Lee asked, confused. "That's about the last place I'd think a group of renegades would want to hide."

Billy sighed. "I'm not sure, Scarecrow. It's all rather convoluted, but according to this report, it's a possibility that members of the Justice For All League have infiltrated Kissin' Cousins, which travels all over the country. They have a core group which travels around, and the rallies they hold attract locals who support the cause. The mobility and relative anonymity the group affords is supposedly a perfect cover for JFAL."

Lee nodded; anything was possible, after all. But he still didn't understand why the Agency was so hell-bent on sending _him_. "Why me?" he asked, voicing his question.

Billy shrugged, his expression bewildered. "You know how they are. They have a notion that this could be big. My impression is that it'll turn out to be a wild goose chase. Still, they don't want to send in a troop of agents; just you and one other person for cover."

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to check it out," Lee said with an indifferent shrug. Placing his hand over his heart with comic dramatic effect, he added, "I assume I'll be undercover as a man madly in love with his li'l kissin' cousin?"

"Exactly," Billy confirmed.

Lee nodded. It could be worse. It could _always_ be worse. This seemed like a straightforward assignment, and he might actually enjoy the diversion of seeing so many cousins wanting to marry assembled in one place. Idly he wondered if they'd all be freaks.

"So who's going with me to be my li'l kissin' cousin? Francine?" Lee queried in a twang that made Billy cringe.

"No shuch luck," he heard the blonde's voice – or something resembling it – from the doorway behind him. Turning, he was shocked at the sight of her.

"Don' shay a word, Shcarecrow," she warned, wagging a finger at him. The entire right side of her face was misshapen and swollen, partly because of the wad of gauze shoved inside her cheek. Her lipstick was slightly smeared and her hair, normally perfect, was anything but.

"What the _hell_ happened to you?" Billy demanded, throwing up his hands. "I needed you for this assignment. I thought this trip to your dentist was simply to crown the tooth you had a root canal done on last week!"

Francine rolled her eyes dramatically. "It wash. But the dentisht couldn't remove the temporary toosh wishout drilling it – I told him lasht time it wash too tight – and when they shtarted drilling, it wash painful. Sho he had hish ashishtant give me a shot, only they gave me the wrong aneshthetic, one that I'm allergic to."

"Well that explains the swelling, but what about the gauze stuffed inside your mouth?" Billy asked, annoyed.

She slumped down in a chair with a muffled huff. "You know I hate needlesh. When he shtuck me, I jumped, and the needle shcracthed me. I've been bleeding ever shinsh, and I have to go back tomorrow for them to finish."

"Guess _you _won't be doing any cousin kissin'," Lee joked, cringing as she slugged him in the arm.

Billy agreed. "No, she won't. Amanda King will." Seeing Lee's horrified look, he held up a hand. "Don't start, Stetson. Every other female agent is busy, out sick, or otherwise unavailable. I already checked, because I was reluctant to send Francine. Now I'm out Francine, too."

She shrugged apologetically. "Shorry, Billy. I can at leash take home shom reportsh and do them there."

"I appreciate that, Francine," he said, rewarding her with a grateful smile. Picking up his phone, he dialed the extension to the phone at the desk Amanda was using.

"Amanda, please come into my office right away," he requested. Lee rankled at the smile Billy managed to infuse into his voice for Amanda.

A moment later, she appeared at his door and he motioned her into the room. She smiled at each of them in turn, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise or possibly horror at the sight of Francine.

The look didn't go unnoticed by Francine, who greeted her by saying, "Lovely dresh, Amanda. You'd be right in shtyle if thish sheashon's haute couture were 'Shuburban Frumph'."

Amanda's eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth, but before she could reply, Billy cut in. "Honestly, Francine, can't you even resist insulting people when you look and sound like you have a gigantic bag of marbles stuffed in your mouth?"

Thus insulted herself, Francine harrumphed and left the room, ignoring Lee's amused chuckle and Amanda's smirk.

Billy grinned as he watched her leave. "She can dish it out, but she can't take it. Now. Amanda, I have an assignment for you . . . "

"Wow," Amanda said, looking around at the posh hotel where the convention was being held. "This hotel is much nicer than I expected – it's more like a resort."

"Yeah," Lee agreed as they walked into the enormous plush conference room that was serving as a registration and meet-and-greet area for the rally. "I'm surprised -- most of the people here look perfectly normal. I'd have thought they'd all be from some backwoods, pinpoint-on-the-map town, with missing teeth, denim coveralls and straw hats."

Amanda shrugged and gave him a smile. "Live and learn, Scarecrow."

He gave her a crooked smile in return and then said, "Wait right here. I'll go sign us in with the Kissin' Cousins and then we can check out our room. The valet should already have our luggage up there – I over-tipped him because I didn't have any small bills."

"_Room_?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. It sounded more like she said, "Roomah," emphasizing the word in its singular form.

He closed his eyes, not in the mood for her paranoia about sharing a room with him. "A-man-da," he said with false patience. "Why would two people lobbying for the right to get married book two separate rooms in a hotel, huh?"

"Well, now, I can think of several reasons, actually--" she began.

Not waiting for her inevitably lengthy and convoluted answer, he strode off toward the registration table. As he waited in line, he saw Amanda head over toward a table with brochures and flyers. She was busily picking up what seemed to be one of each as she chatted with the man sitting behind the table, who was watching her intently and smiling.

Lee shook his head, rolling his eyes. Amanda could make friends with just about anybody, anywhere, in an incredibly short amount of time. It was both a blessing and a curse, in his book.

"Next?"

"Oh, yes," Lee said, returning his attention to the task at hand and moving forward. "Lee Steadman." The silver-haired woman smiled tightly and checked off Lee's name, handing him a "Hi, I'm Lee!" nametag.

"And… where is Amanda Knight?" she asked, looking around inquisitively.

Lee slapped the name tag on his jacket lapel and then gestured to where Amanda stood waiting for him. "Over there," he replied, grinning broadly. "That's my little lady right there! Cute little brunette."

Unimpressed, she handed him a nametag for Amanda. "Enjoy the convention," she said, her voice monotone. "Next!"

Lee made his way back over to Amanda, handing her the nametag. "All right, that was easy enough. Let's go."

As they made their way toward their room, Amanda showed him the flyers she'd collected. "They really have a lot of information here, Lee. Everything you could ever want to know about the organization. I think we should get familiar with some of the success the organization has had so at least we'll know what we're talking about," she said.

"Oh, Amanda, come on," he complained, sliding the key into the door of their room. "You really think we're going to need to know all that stuff? We're here to find out if there's something else going on _behind the scenes_, not actually get involved in all this kissin' cousins stuff."

"Well, I know that," she said, her annoyance evident. "I just think it doesn't hurt to be prepared. After all, we are undercover as delegates. Don't you think it would be a good idea to fit in?"

Entering the room, they found their luggage waiting for them, just as Lee had predicted. Amanda walked over to the window, where the drapes had been pulled open to allow the sunlight into the room. "Nice view of the pool area," she said. "I wouldn't mind taking a swim later."

"Yeah, whatever," Lee replied flippantly, not really paying attention. He had started reading one of the pamphlets Amanda had picked up. "I want to know more about the founder of Kissin' Cousins, Jack Whitfield. It says here he used to be an activist for several political groups in college – environmental, human rights, anti-war… all kinds of stuff."

Amanda returned her attention to him, pulling off her sweater and placing it on a hanger in the closet. "So?"

Lee cocked his head, deep in thought. "So what makes someone like that found an organization like this, if it's not a cover for something else like the Agency suspects?"

Amanda shrugged, looking thoughtful. "Well, I don't know. Maybe because he fell in love with his cousin and wants to marry her? People do change, Lee. What they do in college doesn't necessarily define them for life."

"Maybe," Lee admitted reluctantly, tapping the brochure against his palm, "or maybe he wants to hide something else he's doing. Something not as innocent as protest placards and rallies."

"Well," Amanda said, looking at a flyer announcing the opening ceremonies. "We can see him in person in about two hours. He's giving his welcome speech at three o'clock."

Nodding, Lee hung up his jacket and said, "Great. That gives us just enough time to grab some lunch in the hotel restaurant – I'm starving. When I was in the registration line, I overheard someone say they have the best club sandwich in town."

"Sounds good to me."

_SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK_

"And so, everyone," Jack Whitfield said, wrapping up what had been a very charismatic speech, "We're here to speak our minds! We're here to meet others who have the same goals as we do and are as determined as we are to see them happen! We're here to make a difference!"

Applause broke out among the crowd; some people cheered and whistled, others held up posters with catchy slogans.

"But we're also here to have fun!" he roared, holding his arms in the air. So did the crowd of at least three hundred assembled kissin' cousins.

As people filtered out of the enormous conference room, Lee leaned toward Amanda and whispered, "Did he look to you like he was having fun?"

Pursing her lips, Amanda shook her head. "Nope. He looked like he was very worried – or angry -- about something. Did you notice how he kept glancing toward the doors? Even the one directly behind him."

"You caught that, huh?" Lee was impressed. He had to admit that Amanda really was good at paying attention to details.

She merely nodded again. "And, Lee," she added, "Did you see Maggie Straight?"

Lee shook his head, placing his hand at her elbow as they walked along the corridor and away from most of the other convention goers. "Which one was she? I couldn't tell."

"I caught a glimpse of her nametag before the conference began, and I also saw her talking with Whitfield. There they are now," Amanda said in hushed tones as she surreptitiously indicated Whitfield and Straight. "They don't look like a couple in love; they look like business partners."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Lee replied, catching sight of Whitfield and his 'cousin'. "She looks vaguely familiar to me for some reason but I can't place her… I wonder why she didn't show up in the Agency database. I'm going to see if I can find out what room they're staying in and search it while they're busy down here meeting and greeting. Why don't you--"

"They're in the Sunset Suite," Amanda said, quietly interrupting him. "On the top floor -- west side of the building."

Lee gaped at her. "How do you know that?"

She shrugged. "Well, when you were registering us for the convention, I was chatting with the nice man at the literature table where I got all the materials, and—"

"Nice man," Lee repeated sardonically, cutting off her explanation. "Smarmy man is more like it."

Rolling her eyes, Amanda ignored him and continued, "And I asked him if he'd stayed here before – you know, what the rooms are like and everything. He said all the rooms are lovely, especially the suites. Then he said that Mr. Whitfield was staying in the most beautiful suite – the Sunset Suite – and that if we ever got the chance, we should stay in that room. He said it's usually reserved for honeymooners."

By the end of Amanda's ramble, Lee's head had begun to throb. When she finally paused to take a breath, he said, "Why would you and I ever be staying in a honeymoon suite together, huh, Amanda?"

She flashed him an irritated look. "Well, we probably wouldn't, Lee, but that man doesn't know that, does he? As far as he knows, we're a couple. A couple who want to get married. I was _just _telling you what he said, and--"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Listen. You go ahead and mingle or go shopping or whatever you want to do--"

"Actually, Lee, you know, I think I'll go downstairs and take a swim in the pool," she interjected.

"Fine, fine," he said between his teeth, more annoyed with her than usual, perhaps, he realized, because she'd managed to find out more than he had so far. "I'll go up to the fabulous Sunset Suite that's usually reserved for honeymooners, and see what I can find out."

She nodded, clearly making an effort to ignore his attitude. "Just be careful."

Not bothering to respond, he walked away from her and headed for the elevator.

Exiting the elevator at the top floor, Lee looked cautiously up and down the bright orange carpeted corridor, but it was deserted. Scanning the legend across from the elevator doors, he ascertained that the Sunset Suite was down the hall to his left – on the west side of the building, as Mr. Charming had told Amanda.

Lee found the suite easily enough. He knew Whitfield and his cousin were still downstairs and would be for some time, but he knocked anyway just in case someone was in the room, like a maid.

Pulling out a pick, Lee made quick work of the lock. Easing into the room, he looked around. It was, indeed, a very beautiful suite. Bronze and gold tones gave the room its name, and he noticed it was in a prime location for observing sunsets.

Lee quickly went through the luggage; the happy couple hadn't unpacked yet. Spotting an attaché case on the table, he also went through that, careful not to leave anything looking disturbed. There were several business letters between Whitfield and a Sam Brigmeyer, each containing financial resumes and bank statements. They seemed straightforward enough, but he'd pass Brigmeyer's name on to Billy to run through the system.

A quick check of all the drawers and the closet affirmed that the couple had hardly settled into the room. Finding nothing else of import, Lee left the room and returned to the elevator, deciding that a quick swim sounded like a pretty good idea. Maybe he'd apologize to Amanda for being so snippy.

He stopped off in his and Amanda's room and called to check in with Billy, asking him to run Sam Brigmeyer through the computer. Promising to call if anything else came up, he hung up and then changed into his swim trunks, glad he'd thought to bring them along. Grabbing a towel out of the bathroom, he hurried back out to the elevator and headed downstairs to find the pool.

When he walked outside into the bright sunshine, the first thing he noticed was that no one was actually in the pool except for a couple of kids. Several people were crowded together, and a few of those people were hotel personnel.

Walking closer he tried to spot Amanda but she was nowhere to be seen. Not until he drew closer to see what was going on, that is. Amanda was sitting on a lounge chair, holding a bag of ice on her head. He couldn't help but notice how toned and tan she looked in her red one-piece bathing suit, which was simultaneously modest and alluring. That thought was quickly replaced by worry as he rushed over to her.

"Amanda, h-honey, what happened to you?" he asked, crouching down in front of her. She was wringing wet; she'd obviously just gotten out of the water. He'd remembered at the last second that they were supposed to be a couple, and didn't fail to notice how stilted he sounded when he called her 'honey'.

"There was a little accident," she said, sounding a bit groggy.

A tall, good-looking man came forward and knelt beside Lee. "It's all my fault," he explained ruefully, having eyes for no one but Amanda. "I carelessly bumped into this pretty little lady in the pool. I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention and we knocked skulls. Mine's a lot harder than hers, I'll wager."

Lee scowled at the man with the phony sounding Texas accent but refrained from comment, turning instead to Amanda. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Lee, I'm fine," Amanda replied unconvincingly.

The hotel manager stepped forward. "I'm really very sorry about all this, but it was, after all, simply an unfortunate accident. Nobody's fault, really. Would you like me to call a doctor?" he asked solicitously.

"No," Amanda said firmly, waving a hand in protest. "No doctor. I just need to lie down for a little while, it's just a headache."

Lee put an arm around her shoulders, casting a baleful glance at the cowboy who had conked her head, wondering if he had been planning to put the moves on Amanda. It wouldn't be surprising; that sort of thing seemed to happen quite a bit, actually.

"Do you think you can make it back to the room?" he asked her.

"Sure," she said. But when she attempted to stand on her own, her legs faltered beneath her and she slumped back down. "Ooh," she moaned.

"Hey, hey," he cautioned, supporting her. "Take it easy."

"Please, allow me," the handsome stranger said smoothly, moving forward as if to pick Amanda up.

"I've got her," Lee said, hearing the annoyance in his voice as he added, "She's _my _girlfriend."Bending slightly and placing his right arm under her knees, he lifted her up and cradled her body against his chest.

"Lee… I can walk," she protested.

He shook his head firmly. "No, you can't. This will be much easier." To the manager, he said, "Thank you. We'll let you know if we need anything else."

The careless swimmer apologized profusely again, calling out his room number as Lee carried Amanda towards the hotel, promising to do whatever he could to make amends.

Amanda leaned her head against Lee's shoulder and he could feel her breath on his neck. He felt very disconcerted having her cool, bare legs against the skin of his abdomen. To his dismay he felt his breath hitch.

"I'm so sorry, Lee," she mumbled. "I hadn't even been in the water five minutes when that guy just came out of nowhere and crashed into me. I didn't even have time to try and get out of his way…"

He shushed her quietly, using his elbow to push the call button for the elevator. "It's not your fault, Amanda," he said, fighting the urge to ask her if the swimming cowpoke had been following her around the pool. "Although I will say that trouble sure has a way of finding you."

She didn't respond. He stepped into the elevator and as the doors closed, used his elbow again to push the button for their floor. The walls of the elevator were mirrored and he could see that Amanda had her eyes closed.

He was unable to keep from perusing the sight of himself holding Amanda, neither of them adequately dressed. He felt the heat rise in his face as he noted that Amanda had a very attractive figure – even more attractive than he'd ever imagined when she was fully clothed. Her dark hair, slicked back from her face, hung in slick, drippy curls around her delicate, unmade-up features.

Idly he wondered if Amanda would have been someone he would have pursued , had he met her under different circumstances. Maybe, he allowed, if she hadn't had kids. He'd never been involved with a woman who had children before, at least not knowingly. The ready-made family definitely wasn't for him. But yes, he decided, she was definitely appealing physically.

And she smelled good, he realized. _Really _good. He tried to keep his eyes off the mirrors, he honestly did, but they were affording him such a nice view of her perfectly… Suddenly his face flushed as he felt Amanda's eyes on him.

"Hey," he said guiltily, looking down into her face and wondering why he felt so flustered. 'Maybe because she just caught you royally checking her out, Scarecrow,' a cynical voice replied inside his mind. "H-how are you feeling? Better? How's your head? Does it still hurt? Do you have a knot?"

His admittedly ridiculous efforts to make conversation made her frown at him in confusion, and he didn't blame her. "I've been better, but I'll survive. But… how are _you_ feeling, Lee? You're acting very strange. Are you okay?"

He stared at her for a moment, not sure how to respond. For some reason, a phrase as simple as "I'm fine" eluded him completely. Fortunately the elevator doors slid open with a ding, bringing him back to his senses. He stepped out, announcing a bit too zealously, "Here we are!"

"Uh-huh," she agreed, closing her eyes again.

Back in the room, he gently deposited Amanda on the bed. He promptly handed her the towel he was holding, wanting her to cover up. Then, spotting her robe, he grabbed it and nearly dropped it in his haste. "Uh, here you go, Amanda, put that on. Do you need some aspirin?"

"Yeah, maybe." She stood to wrap the robe around herself and reached up to feel her head. "I do have a bit of a bump, but I think I'll feel a whole lot better after I have a shower. I want to wash the chlorine out of my hair."

Shower? Shower?! "Ah… Maybe you should rest a bit first," Lee suggested, pulling an aspirin bottle out of his night bag and handing her two tablets. He was inundated with panic that she would get dizzy in the shower and require his assistance.

Lee could almost hear the plop of her wet bathing suit hitting the bathroom floor. He swallowed hard, forbidding the image that tried to spring to mind. There was only so much a man could take, after all!

"I'll be fine, Lee," she said, patting his arm. "Thanks for the aspirin." She slowly headed into the bathroom.

He had to stall her. "Ah, Amanda, I really don't think that's such a good idea," he said. "Y-you have a pretty nasty bump on your head and I think you'd better rest a while before you try taking a shower. Don't you?"

She turned around, one hand holding the robe together, and nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right, Lee," she agreed, looking sleepy. "Maybe just a little nap…"

Relief washed over him as he hurried over to assist her back to the bed. Pulling down the blankets, he helped her into the bed and then covered her up solicitously. For a desperate moment, he worried that if she did have a concussion, maybe she shouldn't go to sleep. But if he tried to tell her that, she might strangle him in frustration.

"There you go," he whispered. "Just take it easy, huh?"

"Thanks," she murmured, already looking drowsier.

"Listen," he said, keeping his voice low. "I'm going to go downstairs and see if there's anything going on. I'll be back to check on you in an hour, tops."

She raised her eyebrows but didn't open her eyes. "Uh-huh…"

Filled with doubt, he hesitated. Should she really go to sleep? Risking strangulation, he said, "Listen, Amanda, maybe you should stay awake, after all. If you do have a concussion, it could be dangerous to fall asleep."

"Stop it, Stetson," she replied in a warning tone that brooked no argument. "I'm tired and I want to sleep. If you can't wake me up in an hour you can call an ambulance."

"Okay, okay." Lee grabbed his clothes and went into the bathroom. He splashed cold water over his face and ran his hands through his hair to smooth it down. Pulling on his jeans and shirt, he glanced at himself in the mirror and saw something there he didn't like at all. 'Don't even think about it, Stetson,' he warned himself silently. 'So she looks good – okay, amazing – in a bathing suit. So what?'

Quietly exiting their room, he headed for the elevator again, banishing from his mind and body the way it had felt to hold a scantily clad Amanda King in his arms. "Suburban mother, two small boys, live-in mother, PTA mom, Little League coach. Suburban mother, two small boys, live-in mother…"

The mantra worked more effectively than anything else would have, and he smiled at his reflection in the elevator mirrors as he came back into firm control. "See? That wasn't so hard."

The elevator doors slid open and he stepped into the lobby. Something that felt strangely like a gun pressed into his back and he instinctively put up his hands.

"Back in the elevator, secret agent man," a female voice whispered warningly. "That's right. Nice and slow. We're just an average couple of kissin' cousins here for a convention. Top floor, handsome."

Once in the mirrored elevator, Lee recognized Maggie Straight. "Ms. Straight? There must be some mistake," he said, attempting to distract her. "My little cousin Amanda and I are here to--"

"To spy on Kissin' Cousins," she filled in. "You see, I know you. We go _way _back, you and me. You're a military brat. So am I. Remember me now? We got pretty familiar with one another, LeeOf course, I was Maggie James back then."

"Oh!" he exclaimed, mentally kicking himself for not recognizing her sooner. Perhaps he could still bluff his way out of this, but it was doubtful. "I _thought _you looked familiar! Maggie James, it's great to see you again," he said, oozing charm. With a crooked smile, he said, "But you've got me pegged all wrong. See, my cousin and I, we really are interested in tying the knot."

"Save it," she hissed. "I have a very good memory. I remember very clearly that your uncle is your only living relative. You don't _have_ a cousin to kiss. I did a little digging and found out that you and your lady friend work for the government."

He grinned and shook his head, still trying to find a way to distract her and buy some time. If only someone else would join them on the elevator, he might stand a chance. "Listen, Maggie," he tried again. "Honestly, you've got it all wrong. We work for a documentary film company –"

"Oh, please! Shut up already," she muttered, and thwacked him on the back of the head with the butt of her gun. Lee's world went black as he slumped to the floor of the elevator in what felt like slow motion. His last thought was of Amanda in her red bathing suit…

_SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK_

When Lee awoke, he had no idea how long he'd been unconscious, but the room he was in was black as pitch. He was sitting in a chair, tied securely at the wrists and ankles. A gag had been stuffed into his mouth, and though he fought to force it out with his tongue, he only ended up making it more uncomfortable.

His head was throbbing in pain from the blow Maggie had given him. Maggie… He was surprised he hadn't remembered her sooner. They had dated when his uncle was stationed in Texas. But that had been years ago, and there had been many other relationships for Lee since then.

Frowning, Lee wondered if Amanda was all right, or if Whitfield and Maggie had her, too. He would never be able to forgive himself if she got hurt… or worse. Struggling against his restraints, he redoubled his efforts. He had to make sure Amanda was okay.

_SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK_

Amanda had been drifting in and out of sleep. Something was bothering her, but she couldn't quite place what it was. But the longer Lee was gone, the more worried she had become.

She had gotten out of bed and showered quickly, and was now dressed. As she blow-dried her hair, she replayed the events of the weekend in her mind, but try as she might, she couldn't recall what it was that was tickling her subconscious.

Putting on a thin coat of mascara, her thoughts wandered to Maggie Straight. It was something to do with Maggie, whatever was bothering her; she was sure of it. Amanda frowned; it was frustrating not being able to think clearly. Surely it was because of the nasty bump on the head she'd gotten from the careless swimmer…

Amanda gasped and dropped her mascara wand on the vanity. "That's it!" she cried aloud. When she had been helped out of the pool to sit on the lounge chair, there had been a crowd gathered around her in concern. One of the faces hadn't looked concerned, however, it had looked angry and annoyed, and it had belonged to none other than Maggie Straight!

"She knows," Amanda murmured, hurriedly gathering up her purse and room key. "Which means Lee's in trouble!"

Slipping out of the room, she looked up and down the corridor and found it deserted. She hurried over to the elevator and saw from the lighted indicator that it was already heading to her floor. Retreating down to the next corner, she hid and watched covertly as the elevator doors slid open and Maggie emerged. The woman headed right for Amanda and Lee's room and knocked briskly on the door.

Glancing down the hallway, Amanda noted a sign leading to the stairwell. She looked back at Maggie, who had pulled out what Amanda assumed was a master key and was unlocking their door. Sure enough, the door to the room swung open and Maggie stepped cautiously inside.

Before the door could close again, Amanda raced back down the hall and quietly slipped into the room behind Maggie. She was standing with her back to Amanda, going through Amanda's suitcase. The closet, just to Amanda's left, stood open. There wasn't much to use for a weapon, but there were several heavy wooden hangers. Taking one off the bar as quietly as she was able, Amanda snuck up behind Maggie and brought the hanger down as hard as she could on the other woman's head.

Maggie slumped down onto her knees with a quiet grunt and Amanda thwacked her once more for good measure. When she was sure Maggie was out cold, she used the two ties Lee had packed to bind her hand and foot.

Searching Maggie's pockets, Amanda quickly found the master key. She considered taking the elevator but was concerned she might run into Jack Whitfield if she did. Instead, she raced down the hallway to the stairwell and began climbing up to the honeymoon suites.

_SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK_

As Lee's eyes adjusted to the dark, he realized that he was in a very tiny room, probably a closet. There was a wall directly in front of him, one to his right, and what appeared to be a door on his left. He'd made very little headway with the knots and gag, however, and was frustrated. Sweat dripped down his neck and into his collar, and his head still ached.

Worry for Amanda had him working doubly hard, but whatever he did only seemed to make the knots tighter. He figured it had been about half an hour since he'd come to, but he hadn't heard anything at all outside the closet. It wouldn't be long before Maggie or Jack returned to finish him off.

He stopped working at the knots when he heard a sound not far from the closet. It sounded like a key in the door, which could only mean that Maggie or Jack was about to enter the room. He dropped his head to his chest, prepared to feign unconsciousness. Perhaps he could use the element of surprise.

Whoever had entered the room was being very quiet, he noted, and had not immediately opened the closet door. After a moment, he was startled to hear Amanda's voice.

"Lee?" she whispered. "Lee, are you in here?" Relief flooded through him that she wasn't hurt.

"Amanda?" he tried to say, but it came out as an incoherent mumble.

Still, it was enough to alert her to his presence in the room and seconds later, she opened the closet door. "Oh, Lee!"

"Mph," he answered, amazed that she had found him. She really did seem to have a knack for this kind of work, he reluctantly admitted to himself.

She pulled out the gag easily and set to work on his bindings. "Oh my gosh, someone really knows their ropes," she said, sounding impressed.

"Can you get them? Find something sharp – scissors or something," he suggested. "Hurry!"

"I got it," she replied in a whisper. "Just a sec…"

"What happened anyway, huh?" he asked. "How in the world did you know where to find me? When I left you, you were half asleep already."

"Later," she admonished quietly. "First, let's get out of here and call Mr. Melrose for backup. Obviously, Kissin' Cousins is a cover-up for something, and Jack and Maggie are onto us."

Resisting the urge to demand more information on the spot, he nodded and rubbed his wrists, following her over to the door. She was right, after all, they did need backup.

"Hey," he said in a whisper, placing a hand on her shoulder, "follow me, all right?"

Allowing him to go through the door first, she followed right behind him as they made their way back to their own floor. On the way, she told him how she'd come across Maggie sneaking into their room.

"Where is she now?"

Amanda shrugged. "Hopefully still there," she said, adding with a hint of amusement, "firmly secured and bound with two of your ties."

His ties? Lee suppressed a groan. He'd just put two new ties on his expense account for this case; the Agency could afford to replace a couple of ties. Reluctantly, he said, "Oh… okay. Well… good thinking."

_SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK_

"Well," Lee said, hanging up after speaking with Billy, "the backup team is already here. They're downstairs right now, actually. Sam Brigmeyer is one of the main figures in JFAL, and he and Jack Whitfield have been working together for the past couple of years. Seems they're in town not only for the Kissin' Cousins convention, but also for a clandestine JFAL rally that was going to be held at midnight tonight. They were planning on making a point with the government by blowing up a Washington landmark. Which one, we don't know yet. Anyway, the point is, Jack and Maggie are both in custody now, and Sam Brigmeyer will be too, soon."

"Wow, this case sure wrapped up fast," Amanda replied.

"It sure did," he agreed. "By the way, it turns out I knew Maggie," he said, a bit sheepishly. "We, uh, dated. A long time ago. That's why she looked so familiar to me."

Amanda laughed. "Is there anyone you didn't date, Scarecrow?"

"Hey!" he protested, about to say how unfair her comment was, but he noticed that she was still holding her head. "You know, I really think you should have that looked at," Lee said worriedly.

She waved him off. "No, it's actually getting better. I just want to go home, Lee."

He nodded. Who was he to try to force her to go to the hospital, anyway? "You never did explain how you knew Jack and Maggie were on to us," he reminded her.

"Oh, that," she said. "When I was hit on the head, everyone stopped what they were doing to make sure I was all right. I looked up and there was this crowd of people around me – mostly people who been in the pool or lounging around it, but there were a few hotel personnel – and Maggie was there. She looked really annoyed, like she was mad about something. Almost like she was mad at me, or mad that I'd gotten hit on the head."

Lee nodded. "Huh, that's odd. She really figured things out quickly, didn't she? Well, let's get packed. I'll drop you off at home, and then I'm going into the Agency to see if they've learned anything from Whitfield and Straight."

"Sounds good to me," she agreed. "I do want to make a stop in the gift store before we leave."

"Something for the boys?" he asked, curious.

She smiled enigmatically. "Not for the boys, no."

_SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK_

Lee pulled up across the street from 4247 Maplewood Drive and looked over at Amanda's house. The lights were on in her cozy suburban home and he knew that the family would be finished with dinner, the dishes would be done and the kitchen tidied. The boys doing their homework. Amanda and her mother might be watching an old movie, or maybe Mrs. West was out on a date.

Smiling, he made his way around to the back of the house and spotted Amanda in the kitchen, pouring three mugs of hot chocolate. He tapped on the window and she jumped a bit, giving him a scolding look before heading over to step outside.

"Hi," he said.

She smiled. "Hi, Lee."

"How's the head?" he asked, noting that she was looking a lot better.

"It's good, back to normal," she told him, adding jokingly, "Well, you know, as normal as possible."

Lee laughed. "I'm glad to hear it. Listen, I just wanted to let you know that you were right. Maggie had one of her henchmen in the hotel pool… he was supposed to tell you that I was in danger, and lead you up to the suite so they could dispose of both of us. When that idiot cowboy bumped into you, he actually saved your life. With everyone's attention focused right on you, there was no way Maggie's flunky could get to you without being seen."

"Oh, my gosh," she said, her brown eyes widening. "Well, it's too bad I can't thank him for saving my life." 

"Yeah," he agreed halfheartedly, remembering how the man had looked at Amanda even after crashing his hard head into hers. Lee was glad Amanda had no way of contacting him – by now he was likely back on his ranch branding cow hides.

"Well," she said expectantly, glancing over her shoulder into the house to make sure her mother hadn't come downstairs.

"Yeah, well," he said, stalling for a few more minutes. Just, he told himself, to make sure she was really doing okay. "So, ah, you never did tell me what you bought in the gift shop. Why all the mystery?"

Amanda smiled enigmatically. "If I tell you, you can't say anything Francine until after I give her the present I bought."

"A present for Francine?" he questioned. "Yeah, you have a deal," he agreed.

"Hang on, I'll show you," she whispered, disappearing back into the house.

A moment later, she re-emerged, holding a small plastic bag emblazoned with the hotel's logo. Reaching in, she withdrew another bag, tied with a bright red ribbon. It was full of… marbles.

Lee frowned, confused at first. Then realization hit him and he grinned, suppressing a laugh. "Oh, that's genius. You do realize she's going to _kill_ you for it, though."

Amanda shrugged and leaned closer to him to confide in a whisper, "It'll be worth it."

The End


End file.
